Four ways to teach your kids how to make the world better

With the school season fast approaching, kids will soon be sharpening their pencils and getting ready for a busy year of homework and extracurriculars. But a child’s education shouldn’t only be centred on scoring good grades in math and English. Kids of all ages also need to learn about the importance of human rights, saving the environment and helping others.

Here are four ways you can teach your children how to make the world a better place:

1. Be environmentally friendly. Teach your children how to recycle and compost, show them where their food comes from on a map, and instruct them on the impact of climate change on our crucial ecosystems. You can even watch YouTube videos of young climate change activist Greta Thunberg, who inspired the Fridays for Future movement around the world.

2. Introduce volunteering. Much of what young ones know about community, integrity, and generosity is learned from their parents. Plus, volunteering is a great way to expand a child’s learning and social circles. To provide some structure and inspiration, organizations like Amnesty International offer a wide range of issues and activities for children of all ages to engage in with their parents.

3. Donate to charity. It’s important to start talking to children about philanthropy early in their lives and continue to have those discussions as they grow up. One way to do this is to set an example. Make a gift in their name to an organization you care about and explain to them the significance of this gift, why you care about the cause, and who or what their gift is helping. Involving children in your giving, no matter the size of the gift is an essential way to develop empathy.

3. Write letters with your kids. It’s a simple gesture, but letter-writing has proven to help others in distress, call attention to human rights issues and even save lives. Amnesty International’s annual Write for Rights campaign is a great example. Every year around International Human Rights Day, hundreds of thousands of people around the world write letters demanding governments to take action on human rights violations and urge human rights defenders to keep fighting for equality.